How to hang wallpaper

Prepare properly and take your time, and you’ll find it isn’t as daunting as it seems. Here’s our guide to getting the perfect wallpaper finish

 
What you will need

 
Pencil and steel ruler
Pasting table
Plumb line/spirit level
Seam roller
Wallpaper scissors
Paste and bucket
Step ladder
Wallpaper brush
Craft knife
Sponge

 

Prepare the wall

A successful result will depend on the surface you start with, which should be smooth and clean.

Remove all the old wallpaper by spraying with water or using a steamer, carefully scoring the paper first.

Fill any holes or cracks in the wall and rub down carefully for a smooth finish. Shiny painted surfaces should be sanded so the new wallpaper will adhere.

Apply Polycell's Wall Size to the wall to improve adhesion. It will also allow the paper to slide more easily, making pattern matching easier, and the paper will take less effort to remove when you come to redecorate again. Alternatively, wash the wall with watered-down wallpaper paste just before you hang the paper.

Hanging lining paper is a good idea if the walls are not completely smooth. It can be bought in different thicknesses to counteract varying degrees of imperfection.

 

Cut and paste the wallpaper

Check the direction of the pattern while the wallpaper is still in its wrapper - the top of a design will come off the roll first. Once cut, mark the top edge on the back of each piece to ensure you hang it the right way up.

To cut the lengths of wallpaper, hold the top of the paper against the corner where the wall meets the ceiling and drop the roll down to the floor. Allow an extra 10cm at the top and bottom to adjust lengths and match up the pattern. For large patterns you will need to allow even more. Make sure large motifs start just below the top and are not cut through. Measure and cut the first two lengths to check you have it right, and then pre-cut enough for one wall.

Lay one length face down on a pasting table sideways to cover the table's surface. Apply the paste evenly, brushing away from the centre to the edges, and then fold the length in half, top end to bottom end, with the pasted sides together. Put it to one side and repeat with the next few lengths, letting the paste soak for the time recommended by the wallpaper manufacturer.

 

Hang the paper

Start 50cm from a corner so the first drop crosses the corner. Mark the start by dropping a plumb line (a weight on a string) or using a long spirit level and drawing a vertical line in chalk or pencil on the wall or lining paper. If the paper has a large design, start in the middle of a chimney breast if you have one.

To hang the paper, line up the top of the first piece to the top of the wall, and one edge to the vertical line. Carefully run down the centre with a wallpaper brush then out to the edges, removing air bubbles as you go.

With a steel ruler or the back of a scissor blade, push the paper into the edge of the ceiling or architrave to make a crease. Trim the excess with a craft knife or pull back and use scissors. Do the same at the bottom, trimming to the skirting board.

Repeat the process with the second and all subsequent lengths, or drops, matching up the pattern and butting edges together. Use a seam roller to ensure the seams are stuck down. Finally, wipe off any excess paste with a damp sponge.

 

House Beautiful hints and tips

 

Wallpapering into corners

Extend the wallpaper so it overlaps the corner by about 2cm. The next piece of wallpaper should then be hung to line up with the corner exactly
Use two pieces of wallpaper for a perfect finish

 

Windows, doors and fireplaces

Cut the full drop and stick in place where you can. Cut away the excess wallpaper, but leave plenty spare, and cut diagonally into the point of any corners. Score cutting lines along the edges of the fixture, then cut to fit. Smooth down the wallpaper. Score cutting lines around a fixture

 

Paste-the-wall wallpapers

These wallpapers have a special backing so that the paste goes on the wall instead of the paper. There is less mess in hanging, and matching is much easier as the paper slides well on the wall. Use plenty of paste, applying it evenly, and spread it wider than where the paper will hang.

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